While Matt Grimes was not able to lead Swansea City to victory over Stoke City on Saturday, the skipper did attract glowing praise from opposition boss Narcis Pelach after the 0-0 draw at the Swansea.com Stadium.

"Matt Grimes is such a good player, he dictates the game and plays very well," said the Potters manager.

Swansea paid close to £1.75m to bring Grimes from Exeter City in 2015 and, after loan spells with Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Northampton Town, the midfielder has become a key part of the Swans team under a succession of bosses.

Luke Williams is the latest Swans head coach to appreciate a player who was first handed the captain's armband by Steve Cooper for the 2019-20 season, as the 29-year-old closes on a decade of service to the south Wales club.

Pelach, along with other Championship coaches no doubt, has pitted wits against Grimes and his Swans team-mates since his time as Huddersfield Town's interim boss, then as Norwich City's first-team coach, before taking over at Stoke last September.

“It’s difficult to compete against them and I know that because with Huddersfield, with Norwich I played against him [Grimes] that it’s tough," Pelach said.

"To see a good battle, two teams trying to get a win, I think it was nice to see.”

Going into the international break, the stalemate left Swansea 11th in the Championship, four points off the play-off places but with their unbeaten home record this season intact.

Swansea return to action on Saturday, 19 October with a trip to eighth-placed Blackburn Rovers, and are again in league action three days later as they head to Sheffield Wednesday.